The goal of this clinical trial is to find out whether a herbal medicine called STW 5-II can help improve gut health and symptoms in adults recently diagnosed with functional dyspepsia (FD)-a condition that causes frequent stomach discomfort, especially after eating. The main questions it aims to answer are: Can STW 5-II reduce certain immune cells (eosinophils) in the gut lining? Can it improve symptoms like severe postprandial fullness, bloating, epigastric pain, and improve quality of life? Researchers will compare STW 5-II to a placebo to see if it helps reduce gut inflammation and ease symptoms. Participants will: Take either STW 5-II or a placebo for 8 weeks Provide small samples of gut tissue (via endoscopy) Answer questions about their symptoms and daily life An optional 4-week treatment with STW 5-II will follow for all participants.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
QUADRUPLE
Enrollment
100
STW 5-II is an herbal medicinal product for the symptomatic treatment of functional dyspepsia with main symptoms such as epigastric pain, epigastric burning, postprandial fullness and early satiation, but often also loss of appetite, excessive belching and heartburn. STW5-II consists of six herbal extracts: bitter candy tuft, camomile flower, caraway fruit, melissa leaf, peppermint leaf, and licorice root. STW 5-II will be a solution for oral intake, for the treatment of FD, administered as 20 droplets in liquids, three times daily during 8 weeks. Recommended time of ingestion is just before or with meals. Patients and study staff are blinded for the intervention
Matching placebo will be a solution for oral intake, administered as 20 droplets in liquids, three times daily during 8 weeks. Recommended time of ingestion is just before or with meals. Patients and study staff are blinded for the intervention.
University Hospitals Leuven / UZLeuven
Leuven, Belgium
Difference in duodenal mucosal eosinophil count between baseline and the end of the treatment (week 8) in both arms
For the primary outcome, the number of eosinophils per square mm tissue will be counted as described by Ceulemans M et al. The numbers of cells will be compared at the end of treatment between both study arms. The baseline values and the delta over time will also be compared between both groups. If necessary, the baseline value can be added as co-variate in the statistical analysis.
Time frame: 8 weeks
The effect of STW 5-II vs. placebo therapy on clinical symptoms
The LPDS diary will be analysed using a linear mixed model on data collected up to 8 weeks, including the baseline value as a covariate and including stratum, randomised group, and time (4 weeks and 8 weeks) as fixed factors in the model. The interaction between time and group will also be included to allow for different evolutions over time for the two groups. A random intercept per patient will be included to account for interdependencies within patient. From this model, the mean difference between randomised groups at 8 weeks will be estimated and presented along with its 95% confidence interval.
Time frame: 8 weeks
The effect of STW 5-II in other immune cells
Mast cells counts will be also done and analysed as described by Ceulemans M et al. The numbers of cells will be compared at the end of treatment between both study arms. The baseline values and the delta over time will also be compared between both groups. If necessary, the baseline value can be added as co-variate in the statistical analysis.
Time frame: 8 weeks
Changes in Mucosal permeability
Changes in Mucosal permeability in transmucosal electrical resistance (TEER) and transmucosal flux of a fluorescent molecule in Ussing chambers, and tight junction proteins will be evaluated before and after treatment
Time frame: 8 weeks
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